Someone Like You
by Raych
Summary: Peyton said yes to Lucas' proposal in LA. He never called Brooke in New York. Brooke shows up at his book signing.
1. Someone Like You

**Peyton said yes when Lucas proposed so he didn't call Brooke when he went to New York. Brooke hasn't seen Lucas or Peyton since leaving L.A. Brooke goes to Lucas' book signing in New York. Possibly a two parter.**

**Song is Adele – Someone Like You**

_"Suddenly, it was as if the roar of the crowd, the echo of the final buzzer, the cheers of my teammates, were all sounding from a thousand miles away. And what remained in that bizarre, muffled silence, was only Peyton; the girl whose art and passion and beauty had changed my life. In that moment, my triumph was not a state championship, but simple clarity. The realization that we had always been meant for each other and every instinct to the contrary had simply been a denial of the following truth. I was now and would always be, in love with Peyton Sawyer."_

_The first time she heard those words, or rather read them it had been not just a shock but agony. The publishing house had sent copies of the final edited draft of 'Ravens' to each of the people in the book. They'd had to sign a legal document allowing the book to be published the way it was, giving permission for them to be written about in a certain way. She'd just not been prepared for that book. Lucas had started writing it while they were still dating, and though she'd ended their relationship knowing that he and Peyton would end up together reading the novel it had seemed so different to how they'd lived it. From the start it was all about Lucas and Peyton, her own relationship with the brooding blonde had been written as little more than a distraction, a fling. It had hurt to think that was all she was worth to him. It was like her history had been rewritten. Even though they were together now, engaged even or so she'd heard despite the fact both had been to New York on numerous occasions since Lucas found out his novel was being published neither had gotten in touch with her. She'd only known they'd been there because of Haley. It appeared that not just her past was being rewritten by the pair but now she was being written out. Now Lucas and Peyton had achieved their 'true love always' Brooke Davis was no longer needed._

_I heard that you're settled down  
>That you found a girl and you're married now<br>I heard that your dreams came true  
>Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you<em>

_Old friend, why are you so shy?  
>Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light<br>_

The first time she'd heard those words had hurt like hell, the few lines she got meant little by comparison to what she had lost. But hearing him say the words aloud was even more torturous. She watched from a distance as he closed the book and looked up at the crowded bookstore in New York, she shifted slightly to ensure he would not see her and yet she could still see him.

"Does anyone have any questions?"

"Are you and Peyton still together?" The voice sounded like it belonged to someone young and female, someone who probably still believed in fairy tales and happily ever afters. Someone who hadn't had their heart not only broken but ripped out by the two people they loved most. Brooke watched as Peyton stood to hold her hand out to Lucas' outstretched one.

"This is Peyton Sawyer, we are now engaged to be married." A smattering of applause broke out and Brooke found herself joining in to seem less conspicuous. She felt a pain in her heart at the look the pair shared.

"Did it hurt when Lucas dated your best friend? I mean didn't she know how you felt about him?" She felt her throat constrict not realising until then that now she looked like the bad friend who chased the boy that belonged to someone else. She had been that girl, once before Lucas but not to Peyton not like that.

"At first I was a little jealous but when you love someone like Lucas and I love each other then you know that in the end there's no way you won't be together. It just sometimes takes us a while to accept our feelings when they're as overwhelming and all consuming as our feelings are for one another. Brooke realised before we did that Lucas and I were meant to be and she stepped aside. I think she's a great friend for that, besides Brooke and Lucas weren't exactly compatible it would never have lasted." She felt tears prick at her eyes at the thought that it was how they both saw her now. That it was how Lucas saw her.

_I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited  
>But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it<br>I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded  
>That for me, it isn't over<em>

"Brooke is a dear friend of ours still." She stepped out from behind the large man she'd hidden behind wanting to go, unable to hear anymore. As she did so she heard his voice and turned. His eyes locked onto hers and she recognised the surprise in his look. She stood rooted to the spot, completely frozen. It was as if the world had disappeared and there was nothing left but him. Lucas Scott. The man she loved. Still.

_Never mind, I'll find someone like you  
>I wish nothing but the best for you, too<br>Don't forget me, I begged, I remember you said  
>Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead<br>Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead_

_You know how the time flies  
>Only yesterday was the time of our lives<br>We were born and raised in a summer haze  
>Bound by the surprise of our glory days<br>_

She had been so surprised when he entered her life, so surprised that she could be a girlfriend and so surprised that a guy ever bothered to look beyond her party girl exterior and fall in love with the person she could be. There was so much she wanted to say to him. She wanted to scream and shout and rage at him for doing this to her. For writing about her the way he had when he'd supposedly loved her when he started that book. For not once calling while he'd been in New York. And she could say the same for her 'best' friend. She hadn't even called her when she'd gotten engaged. She could announce it to a book store full of people but couldn't pick up a phone and tell her best friend. She wished she could hate them both for the way they had written her out of their lives like Lucas had practically written her out of his book. But she didn't and that was the problem, she still loved them both.

_I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited  
>But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it<br>I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded  
>That for me, it isn't over yet<br>_

It seemed like an eternity that she stood frozen while he stood watching her. She wished she could read his expression, know what he was thinking. But that was no longer her role in life, she was not supposed to know Lucas anymore. She knew her own face, her eyes had to betray her though, had to show him that for her moving on just hadn't been so easy. She felt the tears well behind her eyes and tore her gaze from his her eyes instead focussing on the floor.

_Never mind, I'll find someone like you  
>I wish nothing but the best for you, too<br>Don't forget me, I begged, I remember you said  
>Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead, yeah<br>_

Her eyes flicked up once more as she shuffled towards the exit, he was still watching her. Maybe she imagined the pained look on his face. She allowed for their eyes to lock once more, she had given him this she had let him go to find exactly what he had found with Peyton. She just hadn't imagined how much it would hurt when he let her go. With a last longing look at him she burst free from the book store, she dropped the copy of 'Ravens' she had in the trash can. She didn't need reminding that she'd been forgotten, written out of the great love affair.


	2. Never Forget You

**I know it's been forever but here's an update finally. Now I've started writing it I'm wondering if there's the potential to continue this as I know it's not been resolved in a way that would make you all happy. Anyways let me know what you think. I own nothing and the songs are Van Halen Can't Stop Loving You and The Noisettes Never Forget You**

With a sigh Lucas heaved himself out of bed careful not to disturb his peacefully sleeping fiancée. He settled in the chair at his desk continually glancing over to her. Out of habit he started up his computer knowing with certainty he would not be able to write a word. He'd started his second novel shortly after he and Lindsey had finished editing his first. He'd not gotten past the first chapter yet and didn't foresee that changing anytime soon. That was just one of the problems that had him unable to sleep for the past few weeks. The editing process had been gruelling for him, he'd been delighted that someone loved his book and wanted to publish it. He hadn't realised that in the publishing world that meant they loved the outline of the book but that the content needed heavily changing. At times it felt like the book was no longer what he set out for it to be, in fact he knew it was not what he set out for it to be. He'd had just one hope for rescuing his novel, one hope that someone would say no and he would be allowed to make it what he'd always seen it as when he started it. But it hadn't happened. The devastation he'd felt had little to do with the book though, not really it was so much more.

And then one day in New York everything changed. The sight of her had been plaguing him since then. One of the main reasons for his inability to sleep was that the look on her face had been engraved in his mind. It was the most hurt he'd ever seen her, and given some of the things he'd done that had hurt her in the past that was really saying something. It made him question his belief. With a last look at the blank page he closed down the computer and stood, stretching with a yawn. He glanced over at the clock and saw it was just 5am. Knowing he was no more likely to get to sleep than he was to win the lotto without a ticket he threw on his hoodie, grabbed his ball and decided to head to the River Court. He went over to the bed and placed a soft kiss on Peyton's forehead and then slipped out the door. He slipped the ear buds from his iPod into his ears and switched it on as he began to jog towards the court. With a groan he heard the strains of Van Halen filling his ears wondering if there was some sort of karmic force that had decreed this would be the song that would play for a playlist of over three thousand songs. He smiled a little as he remembered how gleeful she was when she played The Radio Game. In her world this song being the first he heard when he turned his iPod on would most certainly mean something.

_I can't stop lovin' you  
>And no matter what I say or do<br>You know my heart is true, oh  
>I can't stop lovin' you<em>

_You can change your friends, your place in life_  
><em>You can change your mind<em>  
><em>We can change the things we say, and do any time<em>  
><em>Oh no, but I think you'll find<em>  
><em>That when you look inside your heart<em>  
><em>Oh baby, I'll be there. Yeah!<em>

_Hold on. I'm holdin' on_  
><em>Baby, just come on, come on, come on<em>  
><em>I just wanna hear you say<em>

_I can't stop lovin' you_  
><em>And no matter what you say or do<em>  
><em>You know my heart is true, oh-oh!<em>  
><em>I can't stop lovin' you<em>

_Oh, I'm so twisted and tied_  
><em>And all I remember, was how hard we tried<em>  
><em>Only to surrender<em>

"Hey brother." Lucas took the ear buds from his ears as Nathan walked over to him ball under his arm. He tossed it back to Lucas who caught it.

"Hey Nate little early for you to be here."

"Peyton called. She's worried about you, and judging on the baskets I've seen you spectacularly miss since I got here ten minutes ago and how lost in your music you were I'd say she has a right to be." He felt guilty then because he hadn't realised that Peyton was aware of how troubled he'd been. He supposed it was only natural she would be not just because they lived together but because they were so in tune with one another.

"Writer's block it's a bitch." He replied as he took another shot, almost wishing he hadn't bothered when it hit the rim and Nathan leaned forward to catch it as it bounced back down.

"Maybe you need a break I mean you've only just finished getting 'Ravens' ready and you only got back from the book tour three days ago." For a while Lucas didn't respond wondering whether it was really important what he was thinking. But knowing he'd get no peace until he reached some sort of resolution with his thoughts he decided to speak to his brother hoping he'd have some kind of helpful words he could offer.

"I think maybe I'm blocked because I wonder whether this dream that I've achieved is really what I thought it would be."

"What do you mean, the book's doing well isn't it?"

"Yeah Lindsey said it's doing great. I just...when you first read it what did you think? I mean is it how you remember high school being for us." Lucas watched Nathan's expression closely and saw only confusion in it.

"Pretty much, some stuff was missing and had been a little rewritten but it was mostly how it was for us." Lucas frowned and scratched his head.

"Brooke was at the signing in New York, she left before I got chance to talk to her but I saw her – from a distance." If he'd been looking at his brother then he would see realisation dawn on the younger Scott.

"The book was pretty much how it was for us, probably not so much for you." Lucas looked over at him then.

"She looked so hurt Nate. Hurt like I've never seen her before and I just, she caught my eye for just a minute and I know it was me that hurt her."

"She did have a relatively reduced role in your book compared to what actually happened." Lucas could tell Nathan was phrasing his words carefully and wondered if it was something his brother and best friend had discussed.

"Brooke was the main thing Lindsey and I argued about. She was the first argument too. Lindsey asked me if Peyton and I were still together. We'd just got engaged and she smiled and said good that makes this easier to say. She then proceeded to tell me that if we wanted the book to sell then it needed to be refocused and Brooke's role cut down because no one likes the hero to love more than one person. I said there were no heroes just a bunch of kids growing up together and most importantly for me two boys related by blood who hated one another who finally became brothers. And that Brooke was as much a part of that as Haley and Peyton were, and that for a while for me she was the one. Lindsey said that every coming of age story has couples people ship, in the case of Ravens it would be either you and Hales or me and Peyton but that a conflicted lead male does not sell books. It had to be one or the other." Nathan looked thoughtful for a minute before turned to face the basket and sinking the ball through the net.

"So if you felt like that why let her do it?"

"Because I always knew that we'd need all your written consent for the book to be published as it was. And I didn't think she'd give hers the way it had been edited." Nathan shook his head before fixing Lucas with an exasperated stare.

"Even after all this time you still don't have the first clue about her do you? Brooke would never have said a word no matter what you wrote about her and your relationship. She wouldn't have done that because she wouldn't have wanted to cause problems for you, with Peyton or with the publishing company. And truth be told she would have accepted that the way it was written is the way you remember it."

"She has to know I would never dismiss her like that." Nathan cocked a brow at him sceptically. "I loved her she knows that." Again Nathan merely looked at him. "What?" Lucas blurted angrily annoyed that Nathan seemed to be implying he knew Brooke better than he did.

"How many times have you or Peyton spoken to Brooke since she went to New York?" Lucas shrugged knowing that he hadn't spoken to her at all since she left Peyton behind in L.A. and chased her dream in New York. In fact come to think of it he wasn't all that sure whether Peyton had spoken to her. He'd received no note of congratulations on his engagement or his book from her and that was so unlike her – unless she hadn't been told. Obviously she knew about his book but that could be just because of the publisher's sending her the advance copy of the final draft. "Luke I'm pretty sure that from where she's standing – alone and in the dark – what you wrote or failed to write in that book probably feels to her like it's how you want it. And even if it didn't feel like that like I said she wouldn't cause trouble for you. The thing I want to know is why leave it up to _her _to stop the book going out in a way you weren't happy with."

* * *

><p><em>Watcha drinking?<br>Rum or whiskey?  
>Now won'tcha have a<br>Double with me?_

_I'm sorry I'm a little late_  
><em>I got your message by the way<em>  
><em>I'm calling in sick today<em>  
><em>So let's go out for old time's sake<em>

He looked up once more as the door opened and this time he was rewarded with the sight he had been waiting for. After leaving Nathan at the River Court he'd gone home, showered and booked a flight to New York. He'd not bothered calling Peyton and telling her where he was going or what he was doing because he knew she wouldn't understand. He didn't really understand why he felt like this was something he had to do. He'd asked Haley to tell their lecturer that he was sick, just a 24 hour type thing and would be back the following day. She made her way over to him and removed her coat letting it hang over the bar stool before she perched on it.

"Hey Gretchen, what are you drinking?" He asked her with a grin, she looked a little surprised before returning his grin with a smirk.

"Well Henry I'll have a Long Island Iced Tea if you're offering." Lucas nodded at the bartender who stood before him and after he gave Brooke a long look he went off to make her drink.

"He asked for my ID when I got here, thankfully I still always have it in my wallet." She giggled and settled into a smile remembering their first date. That was soon followed by a frown as she remembered how much things had changed since then. The bartender set her drink down in front of her and Lucas paid him.

"So what are we doing here?" She asked him and he studied her intently trying to a form the right words to answer that.

_I'll never forget you  
>They said we'd never make it<br>My sweet joy  
>Always remember me<em>

"It's been a while I figured we could do with hanging out and catching up." She looked at him obviously unconvinced by his words and he hung his head. "I didn't think you'd sign the waiver." He finally mumbled out to her then watched her intently trying to read her expression. She swirled the straw round in her drink slowly and was watching her own actions with concentration.

"I didn't think my two best friends would get engaged and not even bother to tell me." She finally responded not looking up from her drink and the straw she still swirled. He felt instantly ashamed and wondered how it had been seven months since he and Peyton got engaged, seven months in which they stayed in the same city as Brooke while his book was edited and published and yet neither had bothered to contact the girl they both supposedly loved. Nathan was right he realised, was there any wonder Brooke probably took her lack of presence in the novel as an indication of how they now felt about her. He wondered why exactly it was that neither of them had contacted her then, what possible reason could he come up with for not bothering with Brooke Davis. Truth be told at first he expected Peyton would call her, then he was so busy with edited his novel and arguing with Lindsey that he didn't even think about it. He should have pre-warned her about the book though so why hadn't he? Why hadn't he called to invite her to his book signing instead of being blindsided by her showing up? There were so many things now that he realised were wrong and he couldn't explain why he'd done them.

_I'm sorry I'm a little late  
>You know the stripes on a tiger<br>Are hard to change  
><em>

"I'm sorry just seems so inadequate." She shrugged in response. "Brooke, while I was editing my book I fought with editor constantly about the parts she wanted to change, to cut out completely and most of them were about you, or you and I together. I finally had to give up fighting I just didn't have the energy anymore, not with Peyton constantly questioning why it was so important when I was being offered the chance of a lifetime. I thought that if I went along with what Lindsey said then when the time came for you guys to sign the waivers for permission to use your image and names in my novel then you'd not sign yours because of how much had been changed and skimmed over." She finally dragged her eyes away from her drink and over to him.

"You never did know how to fight for me Lucas." She said, her voice strangled and broken. With that she stood, grabbed her coat and bag and walked away from him. He stayed in stunned silence for a minute before grabbing his jacket and racing after her.

"Brooke!" He called as he chased after her, he knew she heard him and yet she continued walking.

_I'll never forget you_  
><em>They said we'd never make it<em>  
><em>My sweet joy<em>  
><em>Always remember me<em>

He grabbed her arm and forced her to stop and look at him. She sighed and fixed him with a steady gaze, unwavering and her voice void of emotion he swallowed.

"Brooke despite that fact it wasn't in the published version of my novel I didn't forget anything with you. I swear to you I didn't forget how in love we were back then. You were part of my journey into what we all became, the lives we had. I know everyone always thought it was Peyton and I know I'm with her now but that doesn't diminish what we were and I'm so sorry that I let my novel become part of that. You're the best person I know and I should never have let them take that away and show the world any different."

"I know you're sorry Lucas and for a long time I was too. Sorry that you wrote about me like that, sorry that I'm not the kind of person who could demand it be changed, sorry that you and Peyton left me behind, sorry that you ALWAYS chose Peyton over me even when we were together, sorry that you and her got together just two months after we broke up, sorry that you never had a clue how I really felt and sorry that I couldn't be selfish like Peyton was. But I'm done with being sorry Lucas and I'm done with letting you hurt me. I'm just done." And again her eyes held the same broken look they had at his book signing causing him to momentarily loosen his grip on her arm allowing her to back away from him.

"Wait don't go Brooke, please let me try and fix this." She turned back to him then with a sad shake of her head.

"You can't fix this. You're going to go back to your life and I'm going go back to mine and we'll never be Gretchen and Henry again. We're just two people who used to know each other."

"Brooke give me a chance, I know I screwed up with the book and I know I should have tried to speak more over the last few months but you're really are one of my best friends and contrary to what you think right now and how it looks I can't imagine you not being in my life. Not for a second. I know it was arrogant and wrong of me to think you'd always be on the end of the phone when I decided to pick it up with so little regard for your feelings"

"Yes you did screw up Lucas and it was just maybe one too many times for me to forgive. I can't keep forgiving you and Peyton for hurting me only for you to both do it again." He stepped forward and took her hand.

_We just got swallowed up  
>You know I didn't forget you<br>We just got swallowed up  
><em>

"I won't hurt you again I promise. Brooke please, don't just remember the bad times. Please remember some of the good times we all had, the times me and Peyton weren't screwing things up." He could see her resolve wavering then and continued. "Life took over Brooke and I shouldn't have let it but I still love you Brooke Davis you're my friend and I don't want that to change."

"Why can't you just let go Lucas? You only ever want me when you can't have me and when I am around you don't care." He stared at her aghast, horrified that she could believe that.

"Brooke there has never been a day since I met you that I didn't want you in my life. You're Brooke Penelope Davis who wouldn't want you in their life, wouldn't need you as their friend. Brooke I blew off everything today to fly here and apologise and make things right with you. I wouldn't do that if you weren't important to me. I've not been able to write a word since I saw you at the bookstore because every time I sit down in front of the computer the only thing I see is your face and how much I hurt you."

"Last chance Luke, I mean it. No more screwing up, no more hurting me. Friendships can only survive so much and they need to go both ways." He smiled at her then knowing that now she'd given him the chance he could fix their badly damaged friendship. Everything would be the way it was meant to be again.


End file.
